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Worldschooling Year

August 2022 - June 2023
we're hoping to immerse as much as possible into local cultures to understand how other families live around the world while exploring interesting cultures and histories. Read more
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  • Worldschooling Year
    Day 16

    Mythology Heaven

    September 2, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    We’re pleased to report that we’ve found an even more applicable Italian phrase for good luck: “in culo alla balena” which roughly translates to “in the butt of the whale,” as it related to the biblical story of Jonah who was swallowed by a big fish and preferable to climb into a whale’s tush than try to home school our own kids. Usually, one pupil is obliging and the other more resistant; the kids shape shift like Maui between those two roles. From what we’ve heard from our teacher friends, recovering from summer slump and getting into a routine takes time in most classrooms. It doesn’t help that we haven’t established a routine and are still getting over jet lag, but we’re hopeful that it will get easier over the coming weeks.

    While we’re still figuring out the homeschooling part, the worldschooling part of the trip has been pretty amazing. We had a Heroes of Olympus/Roman Mythology tour of the Capitoline Museum that Lewis loved (and Andrew too for the first 30 minutes or so). The tour guide was surprised by how much mythology Lewis knew and how eagerly and humbly Lewis probed what he didn’t. We learned about the “hand of doom,” how someone’s relative size showed their importance, how powerful people were often depicted naked (fun times), and like a Roman horse, Andrew must be fed, watered and run if we expect him to listen to a tour for a few hours!

    If you’re anything like Andrew, you’ll be pleased to know that the kids did in fact watch Gladiator and were extra excited to visit the Colosseum. They enjoyed walking around and seeing where Maximus-like gladiators battled.

    We head to Sorrento tomorrow to visit Pompeii & Herculaneum, climb Mt. Vesuvius, and do an amazing hike along the Amalfi coast that our friends recommended.

    FWIW, the proper response to “in culo alla balena” is “speriamo che non caghi” which essentially means: “I hope it doesn’t poop!” Italian is a phenomenal language!    Read more

  • Worldschooling Year
    1
    Day 18

    "R" Day

    September 4, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    We are enjoying a lazy, rainy day in Sorrento, Italy. We had planned to hike the Path of the Gods on the Amalfi coast (thank for the tip Sparkeses!), but alas, ‘the Gods’ did not condone our endeavors. So, we spent a chill day walking around town looking for pencils (unsuccessfully), Italian Pokémon cards (unsuccessfully), stationery beyond postcards (unsuccessfully), and groceries (successfully!). We had our first homecooked lunch of zucchini omelets with parmesan, tuna and chips, carrots, olives and left-over spaghetti pomodoro.

    Now this might sound mundane to many of you, but I had never cooked popcorn anywhere but in a microwave or an air popper. I was so excited to make two batches of wok-cooked popcorn with olive oil on the stove for us to enjoy while watching Sea Beast (a newish Netflix picture with the weirdest combination of accents and nationalities...is it just me parents?). For those of you who know me well, I can get unusually excited about a seemingly mundane thing and it was so thoughtful for Lewis to share in my extended excitement as Andrew and Rob began to roll their eyes. Thank you Lewis! Xoxo

    We also squeezed in some math, Lewis wrote some post cards (writing ✅) and Andrew read about Pompeii (where we are heading tomorrow). The skies cleared by late afternoon and we spent a few hours in the pool before finding our new favorite dinner spot: Le Grazie (after being rejected from another place (Il Pozzo – boycott it!) because we didn’t wait 10 “Italian” minutes on the curb, even though the maître d’ agreed that we could walk around and return within 10 “American” minutes…no, I’m not bitter!) and our new favorite gelato shop: Amorino Al Naturale, which has ‘natural’ ingredients and the most amazing gelato macarons.

    Off to Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius tomorrow - here's hoping the next post or two will be by someone other than me ;)    Read more

  • Worldschooling Year
    Day 19

    Pompeii (by Andrew)

    September 5, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Pompeii got buried in ash and rubble and pumice from Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79 AD. Pompeii does not have any 🍅or🌽 because in 79 AD it is made in the USA. There were lots of ruins, broken houses and bakeries with ovens. 20 centuries ago(aka 2000 yrs) Mount Vesuvius “farted” (aka exploded) and shot out lava and rained rubble (aka ash and pumice). When I visited Pompeii, I felt pretty sad for the people who died when Mount Vesuvius erupted.Read more

  • Worldschooling Year
    Day 19

    Pompeii, Buried Alive (by Lewis)

    September 5, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    Pompeii was buried by Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. About 2000 years later, they found carbonized bread in a bakeries oven! They didn't have cars back then, so they used horses to travel. The chariots they used on the horses had iron wheels which left (and preserved) “channels” in the road. They drank a lot of beer and wine (wine was more popular), beer was for unsophisticated people. They worshiped Bacchus (you might know him as Dionysus), the god of wine. They celebrated Iris (an Egyptian god), and it is definitely not normal to celebrate an Egyptian god in a Roman city. Celebrating Iris shows that Egyptians used to be in Pompeii. There’s a lot to learn about the buried city of Pompeii and they are still uncovering it!Read more

  • Worldschooling Year
    2
    Day 19

    Mount Vesuvius (by Lewis)

    September 5, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Mt. Vesuvius is a great place to hike! It’s really a volcano that’s been dormant for a long time. Mt Vesuvius erupted on August 24, 79 AD.. It also erupted in 1944. It has a crater at the top... which is where the lava used to be!!! You should hike Mt.Vesuvius!Read more

  • Worldschooling Year
    1
    Day 20

    Path of the Gods & Italian Kindness

    September 6, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    We have a list of ~30 questions we ask the boys to answer for each country, which includes “share one act of kindness you experienced in this country.” As we flew from Naples, Italy to Heraklion, Crete, we all unanimously agreed that the most impactful act of kindness happened on the Path of the Gods.

    For our last full day in Italy, we scrapped the idea of going to Capri in favor of doing the Path of the Gods. The 8km trail begins in Bomerano and descends about 500 meters into Positano. It’s stunningly gorgeous and while it’s not that difficult, there are quite a few places that made the over-protective parent in me very nervous as the boys rock hopped precariously close to a 500m drop to the sea.

    Getting to Bomerano proved to be more challenging on public transit than we expected. What would have been a 5 hour walk, required 2.5hrs of one train and two buses, one of which takes over an hour on hairpin turn roads and is usually standing room only. Due to some delays and our inability to fully understand Italian road signs, we arrived at the trailhead about two hours later than planned and all a little hangry, so we stopped for lunch in Bomerano before heading out.

    Esp. for those who have hiked with me, you may know I’m a bit of a water nazi. We usually have 100oz of water for a short hike in the blue hills, as well as some snacks, a headlamp & pocket knife…just in case! However, given the delay and eating lunch, we forgot to refill our water bladder and started the trail with only ~75oz instead of the 150oz as planned. We had been told there were numerous water stops along the trail, which turned out to be true at the beginning, when we weren’t thinking about water, but not true after the halfway mark, when we were.

    About 45 minutes from Positano, we got to the point where Rob and I stopped drinking and started monitoring the boys’ intake. An Italian couple heading in the other direction overhead us discussing water and very generously insisted on giving us one of their extra water bottles. We were all very grateful for the extra water and each downed two full water bottles when we arrived. Despite being a bit thirsty, it was one of the most beautiful hikes we had ever done and that Italian couple’s generosity will stay with us for a long time!    Read more

  • Worldschooling Year
    Day 20

    Greek Mythology (by Lewis)

    September 6, 2022 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 79 °F

    Greek mythology is a lot of fun. Did you know? There is a god of thunder and lightning? His name is Zeus. He is the king of the gods. There are others too, including Hera, Athena etc.. All gods and goddesses have unique powers. Did you know? A child born from a god and a mortal is known as a Demigod. Heracles, (the most powerful Greek that ever lived), was a demigod. I hope you learned a lot today, but there is so much more to learn about Greek mythology!!!Read more

  • Worldschooling Year
    Day 23

    The Minotaur (by Lewis)

    September 9, 2022 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    We visited Minos’s palace, but couldn’t find the maze. Visiting inspired me to write this, and I hope this inspires you! The Minotaur is a Greek myth that is half bull, half human. The Minotaur’s name means “the bull of Minos.” Minos was king of Crete when the Minotaur was born. The Minotaur was kept in a maze. It killed all visitors. The Minotaur was slain by Theseus with a sword in the neck. Theseus cut off its head as a souvenir. The Minotaur is a scary creature!Read more

  • Worldschooling Year
    11
    Day 26

    Mount Psiloritis on Crete

    September 12, 2022 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 72 °F

    We’ve had a pretty chill time in Crete, getting into a bit of a rhythm with a bit more home schooling, increased relaxation/down time, realizing we have a bit too much relaxation and need to be more active, and continuing to eat lots of delicious foods. We’ve been staying at an ecovillage/farm in the mountains. While it’s pretty magical in terms of a stunning natural landscape that is incredibly healthy, eco-friendly, delicious and relaxing, we are realizing that we enjoy being able to walk to destinations vs. driving.

    A few things struck us about the mountain areas of Crete:

    (1) Edible nature: every tree and plant seem to produce an edible fruit of some sort. Every plant was one of an olive, fig, pomegranate, apple, walnut, orange, mulberry, blackberry, grapes, or prickly pear/cactus. I’m not sure how one could ever go hungry with fruit plants growing out of sewers!

    (2) The roads: we thought the roads in the Dolomites were fun, but they’re nothing compared to the un-barriered, hairpin turns with no shoulder or parts of the asphalt (if there is asphalt) starting to erode down the cliff. We were all really grateful to have had Rob at the wheel to navigate the erratic roads in a manual, gutless rental.

    (3) Google maps: doesn’t always accurately reflect where there are actual roads. We spent about 20 minutes traversing a steep downhill dirt road that quickly turned into a glorified goat path and then disappeared altogether. We then had to find a spot to turn around and head back up this steep, eroding hill. I wish I had pictures, but I was all together a bit too nervous to take any.

    (4) Traditional gender roles: many of the women we met shared that they are expected to do traditional women’s work in addition to working for pay. They often go home midday from work to make food for their husbands who are shepherds and farmers. There does seem to be a mutual respect for both genders’ roles, but even Lewis and Andrew are surprised by the number of gendered comments we have heard on Crete.

    (5) Traditional, hard and beautiful way of life: many of the products we eat and enjoy are made from scratch by hand without modern conveniences. While this way of life is very appealing to us, it’s also very hard. Our favorite server, Aphrodite, shared that she gets her eggs and chickens from her mother, all her vegetables and fruit from her mother-in-law who has a small farm and she and her husband provide all the yogurt and cheese, which she makes by hand, as well as the milk and meat from their sheep and goats. She shared that her 26yo daughter does not want to return to their village as life is too hard. While it does sound like an incredible amount of work to put a meal on the table, it also sounds very rewarding and natural!    Read more

  • Worldschooling Year
    Day 30

    Canyoning (by Andrew, as dictated)

    September 16, 2022 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    I went canyoning with mommy, daddy and Lewis and two guides named Vasilis and Vasilis. Canyoning is when you get a rope and you get a harness on and you basically idle down rocks into icicle water. The harness attaches to you and the rope attaches to the harness and to a rock at the top. One of the Vasilis goes down and holds the rope steady and then somebody clicks in with their harness to the rope and goes down the rock face. There’s water below you, so when you’re done with idling, you can jump in an ice cold pool and swim across to go to the other side of the pool to do more canyoning.
    It was really fun because I was afraid of heights but it showed me that there was no reason to be afraid. I would want to go canyoning again!    Read more

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